Vasco da Gama

Who Was Vasco da Gama?

In 1497, the Portuguese king commissioned Vasco da Gama to discover a sea route to the East. His successful expedition marked a pivotal moment in the history of exploration and global trade. Da Gama later undertook two more voyages to India, and in 1524, he was appointed as the Portuguese viceroy in India.

Early Years of Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama was born around 1460 into a noble family in Sines, Portugal. Although little is known about his early life, it is documented that he was the third son of Estêvão da Gama, the commander of the Sines fortress in southwestern Portugal. As a young man, da Gama joined the navy, where he developed his skills as a navigator.

Da Gama quickly gained a reputation as a fearless and skilled sailor. In 1492, King John II of Portugal tasked him with a mission to capture French ships along the southern coast of Portugal and in the Algarve region. This was in retaliation against the French government for disrupting Portuguese shipping. His success in fulfilling the king’s orders further solidified his standing in the navy.

In 1495, King Manuel I ascended to the Portuguese throne and revived the nation’s earlier ambition to establish a direct trade route to India. By this time, Portugal had already emerged as a dominant maritime power in Europe, largely due to the efforts of Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry had assembled a team of expert mapmakers, geographers, and navigators in southern Portugal, sending expeditions to explore the western coast of Africa. His goal was to extend Portugal’s trade influence and possibly form an alliance with the legendary Christian ruler, Prester John, who was believed to govern a distant empire in Africa. Though Henry never found Prester John, his work significantly boosted Portuguese trade along the eastern coast of Africa during his 40-year career. Despite these achievements, the lands east of southern Africa remained largely unexplored.

An important milestone occurred in 1487 when Bartolomeu Dias discovered and rounded the southern tip of Africa, known as the Cape of Good Hope. This breakthrough proved the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were connected, sparking renewed interest in finding a direct trade route to India.

By the late 1490s, however, King Manuel’s motivations for seeking a route to the East were not solely driven by the promise of lucrative trade. His ambitions extended further—he aimed to conquer Islamic powers and proclaim himself the King of Jerusalem.

Vasco da Gama’s First Voyage

Details surrounding Vasco da Gama’s selection as the leader of the 1497 expedition to India remain unclear, especially given his relative inexperience. Nevertheless, on July 8 of that year, da Gama set sail with a fleet of four ships, including his flagship, the 200-ton St. Gabriel. His mission: to establish a sea route to India and the East.

Da Gama directed his fleet southward, navigating along the African coast by harnessing the prevailing winds. This route also symbolized a challenge to Christopher Columbus, who believed he had found a path to India by sailing westward. After months of sailing, da Gama successfully rounded the Cape of Good Hope, moving into uncharted waters along the eastern coast of Africa. By January 1498, as the fleet approached Mozambique, many of da Gama’s men had succumbed to scurvy, forcing them to halt for nearly a month for rest and repairs.

In early March, da Gama’s fleet anchored in the Muslim city-state of Mozambique. However, the local sultan, unimpressed by da Gama’s humble offerings, refused to assist the crew and forced them to leave. By April, da Gama reached the coast of what is now Kenya and set off on a 23-day voyage across the Indian Ocean. On May 20, 1498, they arrived in Calicut, India.

Da Gama’s lack of knowledge about the region created complications upon arrival. Mistakenly assuming the local inhabitants were Christians, da Gama failed to recognize that they were Hindus—he and his crew were entirely unfamiliar with the religion. Nonetheless, the local Hindu ruler initially welcomed the Portuguese explorers, and they stayed in Calicut for three months.

However, da Gama’s presence sparked tension with Muslim traders who had long dominated the region’s commerce. Unwilling to cede their trading networks to foreign Christian visitors, they resisted the Portuguese presence. Eventually, da Gama was forced to trade goods along the waterfront to secure enough supplies for the journey back to Portugal. In August 1498, he and his crew began their return journey.

The timing of their departure, unfortunately, coincided with the onset of monsoon season, worsening the perilous conditions at sea. By early 1499, several crew members had died of scurvy. To conserve resources, da Gama ordered one of his ships to be burned. The first ship from the fleet did not reach Portugal until July 10, nearly a year after leaving India.

Da Gama’s first voyage covered almost 24,000 miles over nearly two years. Of the 170 men who set out, only 54 survived the grueling expedition.

Second Voyage

Upon Vasco da Gama’s return to Lisbon, he was celebrated as a national hero. Determined to strengthen their hold on the lucrative Indian trade route and displace Muslim merchants, Portugal sent another fleet led by Pedro Álvares Cabral. In just six months, Cabral’s expedition reached India, engaging in a bloody conflict with Muslim traders that resulted in the death of 600 men aboard Muslim cargo ships. More significantly for Portugal, Cabral established the country’s first trading post in India.

In 1502, da Gama led another expedition to India, commanding a fleet of 20 ships. He personally oversaw 10 of the ships, while his uncle and nephew commanded the others. Building on Cabral’s earlier victories, King Manuel tasked da Gama with further cementing Portugal’s dominance in the region.

This expedition, however, became infamous for its brutality. Da Gama and his men attacked Muslim ports along the eastern coast of Africa, terrorizing the local population. In one of the most notorious incidents, they captured a Muslim ship returning from Mecca and set it ablaze, killing hundreds of passengers, including women and children. Da Gama then turned his sights on Calicut, where his forces destroyed the city’s trade port and executed 38 hostages. From there, the fleet proceeded to Cochin, a city south of Calicut, where da Gama successfully forged an alliance with the local ruler.

With his mission complete, da Gama and his crew set sail for Portugal on February 20, 1503, returning home on October 11 of that year.

Later Years and Death

Few details are recorded about Vasco da Gama’s return to Portugal after his expeditions, though some speculate that he felt underappreciated for his achievements and inadequately compensated for his efforts.

By this time, da Gama was married and the father of six sons. He settled into a quieter life of retirement, but continued to advise King Manuel on Indian affairs. In 1519, he was granted the title of Count of Vidigueira.

After King Manuel’s death, corruption among Portuguese officials in India prompted the new monarch, King John III, to call da Gama out of retirement. In 1524, da Gama was appointed Portuguese Viceroy in India, tasked with restoring order.

Later that same year, da Gama died in Cochin, possibly due to exhaustion from overwork. His remains were later transported back to Portugal, where he was buried in 1538.